Okaw Veterinary Clinic

140 W. SaleTuscola, IL 61953

(217)253-3221

okawvetclinic.com

Hyper Active Dogs

Many people will become frustrated with dogs that grab things off the counter, tables, desks, or dig holes or chew up the couch or their own beds. Often these behaviors are symptoms of a dog that is not getting enough aerobic exercise.

What is aerobic exercise for a dog? Anything that will get the dog to the point of panting, can be maintained for at least 20 minutes and after that the dog will lay down and choose to rest. So, for a toy breed, this can be chasing a ball in the living room for 20 minutes but for a larger dog or certain breeds this will be something else. Most dogs over 25 lbs need to have a minimum of 15 minutes of brisk (dog is trotting) walking twice daily, every day. Dogs over 50 lbs need to run for at least 15 minutes twice a day or at a trot for 30 minutes twice daily every day.

If you can not walk this fast or have the stamina yourself to get your dog this exercise what to do? In a fenced in area you can throw a succession of balls one right after the other to keep the dog retrieving and going after the next one. No keep away games. Just keep throwing a ball, Frisbee, or empty cap off water bottle. Keep this up for the 20-30 minutes. Remember you are going for pooped dog laying down to rest. Perhaps a trusted high school student or active adult is wanting a running partner. Get others to help you.

A fenced in back yard is not enough exercise area for a dog over about 10 lbs. Most dogs eliminate in their yard, but do not really exercise. The outing of walks and runs stimulates their mind and helps to increase the calming brain chemicals. Lacking these calming chemicals is part of the reason why they do so much destruction and attention seeking behaviors.

If these tips don't work, give us a call and we can set up a behavior consult. Take a look at the behavior services we offer.